Thursday, 29 October 2015

What are Community shares?

Raising investment through community shares is a great way to secure the right type of finance for your community venture. It might be for a local shop, pub, or football club. It might be to run a building for community use, or a sports ground or community energy scheme. Or it could be a local food grower, a children’s nursery, or a neighbourhood housing scheme. Whatever the enterprise, the key element is that they are run by and for the community, and serve a wide range of social aims.For more information CLICK hereExample of a project currently in the making - Community share offer for UK's last WWII high security POW camp

Comrie Development Trust in west Perthshire has launched a share offer to give

people the opportunity to invest in the last WWII high security POW camp

in the UK.

Known as Camp 21, Cultybraggan has been recognised by Historic Scotland as

a unique historic environment with international significance.

In 2007 the community of Comrie acquired it from the army with the aim of

making sure it survived intact. Now, thanks to funding from Historic Scotland,

the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish and Southern Energy, the development

trust will be able to refurbish some of the vacant buildings.

The trust has launched a share offer in addition to this funding to help them

transform these buildings into a bunkhouse and self-catering accommodation.

Plunkett Scotland has been working with the trust alongside partners including

Development Trust Association Scotland to work up their business plan and

develop their share offer document.

People can invest between £25 and £5,000 and will be helping the community

to take an enterprising approach to preserving this important site, making sure